We prefer to take the local train (The Circumvesuvianna) to the Pompeii Scavi station and either do a walking tour ourselves (great if you have an entire day as we did) or hire a guide at the entrance (as we did with friends when we had only a few hours).

Like Sassafrass, I preferred to visit Pompeii on my own, which I did without a guide, as I had read extensively in advance of the trip. I took the Circumvesuvianna, as she did, and spent about 6 hours at Pompeii. (DO bring water, sunscreen, and hats with visors!) I didn't try to visit Vesuvius, though, and that could change your calculations.

Here's some pertinent info for you.

https://www.helenonherholidays.com/p...imb-vesuvius//

I visited Pompeii (by Circumvesuvianna ) with a walking guide I had printed off the net. If you want to see Vesuvius the same day, you might consider Herculaneum instead, which I preferred. It requires less walking, offers some shade/protection from rain, and has more art in situ.

We visited Pompeii on our own with only a map, and even though we found it extremely interesting, I think we missed a great deal. After our visit, we became aware of the free Rick Steves audio guide available for download online. We have used his free guides in other cities and sites and found them to be good, some very good, and always better than winging it. If you decide not to do a tour, I would highly recommend considering it. Listening to it in advance might help with your decision.

Were you hoping/planning to see Pompeii and Vesuvius on the same day? I think that would be hard to do without joining a tour that included transportation to both. FWIW, on our first visit to Pompeii, we spent the entire day there. The Vesuvius hike took a little over an hour round-trip.

I may be in the minority but I didn't find Vesuvius very interesting, although the views are spectacular. (I wouldn't go if the skies are not clear.) Depending on your physical condition, the hike to the crater rim can be strenuous. (I definitely wouldn't attempt it in the rain.) You need to wear supportive walking shoes or hiking boots.

Like Jean, I did not find Vesuvius all that interesting. I was with a small group of friends who wanted to hike it, so I did. Even in early Spring, it was hot, cinders and dust, then just a big, black hole in ground. Wear shoes that won’t melt.
Herculaneum, OTOH, is beautiful and interesting with many more intact portions of buildings. I prefer it to Pompeii. Even the walk to and from the train is nice with lots of little restaurants. It is super easy to get there from Naples. We also enjoyed seeing the underground excavations in Naples. I would not skip Pompeii or Herculaneum for it, but if you are there anyway and have time, it is worthwhile. The best thing in Naples for me was seeing the sculpture of The Veiled Christ. It is amazing.

Count me in to the group that preferred Herculaneum to Pompeii! So much more accessible and in generally better shape, as well as far fewer crowds. While I appreciated having seen Pompeii, I was much more moved by Herculaneum. We also went to Villa Oplontis (or Villa Poppea) which was thought to be owned by Nero and used by his second wife. We were able to get to all of these sites using the Circumvesiana from Naples and from Sorrento.

Another vote forVilla Oplontis. And the Veiled Christ. Also Santa Chiara cloister.

See: https://kwilhelm.smugmug.com/Travel/...ples/i-vL9dvm3

We did Pompeii and Herculaneum on the same day. Pompeii all morning and an hour or so in the afternoon, followed by lunch, a quick train trip to Herculaneum, and 2 or so hours there (not counting the walking between Herculaneum and the train station). The third thing to do to complete the ancient tour is to see the Archeological Museum in Naples, worth a morning or an afternoon. Pompeii is a fascinating skeleton of its former self, which we toured with guidebook info. Herculaneum has preserved wood and frescoes, which I liken to the flesh of an ancient city. The museum has the art removed for preservation and display, so it is the soul. See all three. Vesuvius is just for looking at in the distance. If I can, I will post my picture of the remains of Vesuvius as seen from Pompeii. The pre-explosion Vesuvius was a perfect cone, filling the bottom half of the view through the arch.

View of Vesuvius from Pompeii.

I've undertaken self guided tours of both Pompeii and Herculaneum and a guided bus tour up Mt Vesuvius. I was disappointed with Mt Vesuvius and wouldn't recommend it as a visit, very underwhelming and better viewed from a distance.

Pompeii and Herculaneum are very different, Pompeii vast and almost overwhelming whilst Herculaneum is smaller but more manageable and less crowded. If possible I would recommend both but if only one can be managed then I would opt for Pompeii but make a long day of it to fully experience all that it has to offer.